The criminal probe into Nicola Sturgeon has been dropped after her husband Peter Murrell appeared in court charged with embezzlement.
The former first minister was arrested and then later released in 2023 as officers investigated the parties finances in a probe dubbed Operation Branchform.
Police confirmed Ms Sturgeon and Angus-born MSP Colin Beattie are no longer under investigation.
The development came just hours after her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with embezzlement.
Speaking outside her home near Glasgow, she said: “I have done nothing wrong and I don’t think there was ever a scrap of evidence that I had done anything wrong.”
Mr Murrell made no plea during a private hearing and was granted bail.
He was charged by police last year as part of the long-running investigation.
Ms Sturgeon announced earlier this year that the couple had “decided to end” their marriage.
The former first minister resigned in February 2023, just weeks before her husband was arrested and their home was searched.
Last week she announced plans to quit Holyrood in 2026.
SNP MSP Mr Beattie, a former party treasurer from Forfar, was arrested and later released in 2023 while police made inquiries.
He has also been cleared.
Speaking in Holyrood, he said: “I knew myself that I’d done nothing wrong.
“But two years is a long time to be waiting for a result.
“It’s been a hard time for my family, for my wife, and myself.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Following direction from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, criminal enquiries into two people arrested as part of the investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party have now concluded.
“The 73 year-old man arrested on April 18 2023, and the 54 year-old woman arrested on June 11 2023, have not been charged and are no longer under investigation.”
A Crown Office spokesperson said: “A request from Police Scotland for advice and guidance in an investigation into a 73-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman has been responded to.
“The request was handled as part of a large-scale wider inquiry and without delay on the part of the prosecution service who recognise its significance.”
Regarding Mr Murrell’s court appearance, they said: “Professional prosecutors from COPFS and independent counsel are dealing with this case without involving the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General.
“All Scotland’s prosecutors operate independently of political influence.”
